5 Top Indoor Bonsai Care
Tips
By Samuel
Phillipson
Indoor bonsai care can be
quite a difficult process to say the least. Without proper
care and attention bonsai trees are prone to dying which is
a rather unfortunate for the grower and the tree itself.
Many people have different views on the proper way to care
for bonsai trees and today I am going to tell you the five
top indoor bonsai care tips around. By using the advice
provided you will be able to grow great looking bonsai trees
and prevent yourself from becoming a "bonsai gardening
statistic". The tips I am about to share with you are of
course reasonably basic, however, they are extremely
effective at encouraging the growth of bonsai trees. Without
using the five tips it is nearly impossible to grow a good
tree as they are the basic things every bonsai tree requires
in order to develop. In a way indoor bonsai care is a bit
like building a house - you need firm foundations before you
can complete the rest of the construction. The following
five indoor bonsai care tips are a firm foundation for
growing great trees.
Tip 1 - How To Water A
Bonsai Tree
Watering is easily one of
the most important elements in indoor bonsai care. Too
little water and the tree will dehydrate and die, too much
water and you will literally drown the tree. After many
years experience of growing bonsai trees I have found that
watering is the number one problem most people (especially
beginners face) To ensure that you are correctly watering
your bonsai tree you should wait for the soil to start
drying out (don't let it completely dry though!) Next, water
the plant until excess water seeps out of the bottom of the
pot. Don't water the bonsai again until the soil starts to
dry out. I have found that this is easily the best way to
water a bonsai tree as it is nearly impossible to either
over-water or under-water the tree.
Tip 2 - Picking The Right
Soil
Picking the right soil is
vital for indoor bonsai care - after all, half of the tree
is covered by soil. To pick the right type of soil you
should visit your nearest garden centre (or bonsai
specialist if there's one in your area) and tell them what
exact type of bonsai tree you have. They will help you find
the right soil for your needs. Also, remember to buy the
highest quality soil you can as this makes a massive
difference. Spending an extra $5 a bag on higher quality
soil is definitely worth it in the long run!
Tip 3 - How To Apply
Fertilizer Correctly
Incorrect application of
fertilizer is quite a big problem for those new to indoor
bonsai care. On many occasions I have even seen beginner
bonsai growers pick insoluble fertilizers and then wonder
why their tree wound up dying a few weeks down the track.
Bonsai trees need to be given a water soluble fertilizer
either once or twice a month during the growing season only.
Also, the fertilizer must only be applied when the soil is
wet or you will see no result from the fertilizer. Buying a
high quality fertilizer is also worth the extra cost so
visit your local gardening centre and inquire about the
various types of water soluble fertilizer they have. If you
try one type of fertilizer and it doesn't work then wait
until the next growing season to try a different fertilizer
- don't mix and match unless it is absolutely neccessary.
Tip 4 - How To Prune A
Bonsai Tree
Pruning is another vital
part of indoor bonsai care. The process of pruning is done
in two different ways ("branch pruning" and "root pruning")
You should branch prune at the start of spring and carefully
remove all the branches on the tree except those that you
wish to keep. Root pruning is similar but should only occur
when the bonsai's roots have bound themselves inside the
pot. It is absolutely critical to learn the basic process of
bonsai tree pruning before you try and sculpt your tree into
various shapes so make sure you get this basic stuff right!
Tip 5 - Choosing The Right
Environment To Encourage Growth
This final tip is one of
the most important factors in correct indoor bonsai care.
You should place your bonsai in an area that receives plenty
of sunlight (by a window is a natural choice for most but
ensure that the windowsill is wide enough to hold the pot
properly so that it doesn't get knocked over by mistake)
Make sure that the room is neither too warm nor too cold
(room temperature works well if the tree is given a good
source of light but this can vary species to species) Also,
make sure that the room is reasonably humid so the soil
doesn't dry out too quickly.
In this article I have
covered the five most basic aspects of indoor bonsai care -
how to water the tree, how to pick the right soil, how to
properly apply fertilizer, how to prune the tree for optimum
growth and how to get the growing environment/conditions
just right. Follow this advice and you'll be well on your
way to growing great bonsai trees and being an indoor bonsai
care master!
About the
Author:
Samuel Phillipson has been a keen bonsai grower for over 30
years and has a large collection of bonsai trees that have
won numerous awards. If you found these tips on bonsai
gardening useful you can find out a lot more on how "Growing
Bonsai Revealed - Step - By - Step" can help you grow
amazing bonsai trees at
http://www.squidoo.com/indoor-bonsai-care.
If you're interested in
more bonsai articles, click here -
Bonsai Articles.
Enjoy!
I wish you all the best on your
bonsai adventure!
Best wishes,
Thomas T :)
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